Tag Archives: John F Kennedy airport

Parts of Jamaica may look forlorn with many properties vacant or in need of repair, but its shopping district and its richness in transportation options could turn it into the next big thing for development.

The vacant property, called Site 9, was identified in a plan that school administrators submitted to the governor’s office in July. The site is bounded by Guy Brewer Boulevard, Liberty Avenue, 165th Street and South Road. A parking lot and green space at the Brewer Boulevard side of the block are not part of the development site.

That plan was submitted by CUNY to the state Commissioner for Economic Development and was recently approved.

The plan details the types of businesses York is hoping to attract, based on the school’s academic and research programs.

Although school representatives said they weren’t allowed to discuss the specific businesses that they are considering, those fields include pharmaceutical, medical device research and manufacturing, water resource management and purification, logistics, aviation, wireless technology, solar power companies and food science research and manufacturing.

School administrators said the partnering businesses will benefit not only students but also the neighborhood, which should see increased employment as a diversifying local business landscape becomes a magnet to attract other firms to the area.

“[The program] is moving in the right direction and we are quite excited,” said Earl Simons, director of government and community relations at York. “It provides potential opportunities for our students in terms of internships as well as important opportunities for the surrounding community.”

Near York College, the downtown Jamaica area hosts a comprehensive transportation hub. The AirTrain transports passengers to John F. Kennedy Airport in about 10 minutes, while the LIRR takes thousands of people to Manhattan daily in about 20 minutes. There are about 49 bus lines running through and around the area, and the E, J, Z and F subway lines are nearby.

There have been several recent moves to leverage this resource.

A 368-block rezoning was completed in downtown Jamaica in 2007 to allow more developments with commercial and residential uses.

The Development Corp is collaborating with York to help bring businesses to downtown Jamaica through the tax-free zone program, school officials said.

Businesses looking to set up shop in the tax-free zone need to appeal to several selection committees as well as school and state officials. While no immediate announcement of incoming companies is expected, York is confident in the program’s ability to be the push downtown Jamaica needs.

“It’s another tool to really spur development and economic opportunities and job creation,” Simons said. “It can only enhance all of the efforts that are taking place here.”

“Crowds brave enough to make their way to JFK Airport on Saturday were transported back to the 1960s. The TWA Flight Center opened its doors as part of this year’s Open House New York weekend, and some visitors were even decked out in their vintage TWA attire.” Read more [Curbed]

“A new French bakery is about to open in Hunters Point. Cannelle Patisserie, a popular French bakery that opened in Jackson Heights more than six years ago, will be opening in the next week to 10 days.” Read more [LIC Post]

“Douglas Elliman Development Marketing, is pleased to announce The Pearson Court Square, a 14-story 197-unit rental building in the increasingly popular Court Square neighborhood of Long Island City, has been fully leased in just under four months.” Read more [The Court Square Blog]

Although a specific date was not given, in an interview with The Courier, Aaron Perl of Racebrook, who is overseeing the $48 million development, said the company is a few months away from completing preparations to begin building the world’s first animal terminal, which is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2016.

The 178,000-square-foot project, which consists of a main center and a 63,515-square-foot cargo handling facility, will be constructed at a 14.4-acre site in the airport’s vacant Building 78. The building will not be demolished, but revitalized, which will cut down on construction time.

The Ark will provide services to board, kennel, quarantine, import and export up to 70,000 domestic and wild animals annually. There will also be a veterinary clinic.

Monday: Overcast. Fog early. High of 63. Winds from the South at 5 to 15 mph. Monday night: Overcast with a chance of rain, then rain showers after midnight. Fog overnight. Low of 52. Winds from the South at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%.

EVENT of the DAY: Opening Party – Geisha: The Golden Years 1870-1890

Tonight is the opening party for the exhibition Geisha: The Golden Years 1870-1890 at the Resobox Gallery in Long Island City. The hand-colored photographs of Geisha and Maiko were used by Dr. Stanley Burns and his daughter Elizabeth to create the book, “Geisha: A Photographic History 1872-1912,” and to show the exotic nature of Japan to the West. Click here for more info or to submit an event of your own

Rockaways homeowners still without power 13 days after Hurricane Sandy

Slow-as-molasses brass of the Long Island Power Authority failed to restore electricity to a storm-battered block of Arverne in the Rockaway Peninsula — even though it passed an electrical inspection with flying colors three days ago. Read more: New York Daily News

Cuomo to seek $30 billion in aid for storm relief

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo plans to ask the federal government for at least $30 billion in disaster aid to help New York City and other affected areas of the state recover from the devastation of Hurricane Sandy, according to top administration officials. Read more: New York Times

Battery Tunnel reopens Monday morning but only for express buses into Manhattan

The Battery Tunnel will reopen Monday morning, but only for express buses into Manhattan, officials announced Sunday. Read more: New York Daily News

Gawkers head to NY’s storm-ravaged neighborhoods

Garbage trucks, hulking military vehicles and mud-caked cars move slowly through a Staten Island waterfront neighborhood still reeling from Superstorm Sandy’s storm surge. Then comes an outlier: a spotless SUV with three passengers peering out windows at a mangled home choked with sea grass. Read more: Wall Street Journal

Israeli pilot in JFK bust

An Israeli pilot was busted at Kennedy Airport for trying to bring a retractable baton onto a flight, officials said yesterday. Read more: New York Post

Info emerges about 2nd woman in Petraeus case

As questions swirl about the extramarital affair that led to the resignation of CIA Director David Petraeus, the retired general and his biographer, Paula Broadwell, have been quiet about details of their relationship. Read more: AP

Wednesday: Partly cloudy. High of 61. Winds from the ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Wednesday night: Mostly cloudy in the evening, then clear. Low of 55. Winds from the SSE at 5 to 10 mph.

EVENT of the DAY: The Platinum Band

The Platinum Band is once again performing on the Resorts World Casino New York City’s Bar 360 Stage. The band, which boasts a heavy rotation of reggae music, takes you back to an era of Bob Marley and the Wailers. Click here for more info or to submit an event of your own

Students sickened after pepper spray is released in Queens school

One student was hospitalized, and 10 more had to be sent home, after pepper spray was discharged in a school lunchroom in South Ozone Park, Queens. Read more: CBS New York

Makeover for Queens traffic hub is underway

Pedestrian plazas and a gleaming stainless steel elevator are coming to Queens Blvd. and the Van Wyck Expressway but completion of the massive Kew Garden Interchange project is still years away. Read more: New York Daily News

Baggage handler who smuggled cocaine in planes is sentenced to life

An airline baggage handler who was convicted of trafficking millions of dollars’ worth of drugs in the bellies of commercial jets was sentenced to life in prison on Tuesday, putting an emphatic stamp on a case that revealed rampant theft and corruption by some airline employees. Read more: New York Times

Union officals for the NYPD detective who shot an unarmed man to death on the Grand Central Parkway met Tuesday with the Queens district attorney to ask for a fair and impartial investigation. Read more: New York Daily News

NYC cabbie suspended after tossing passenger

A New York City cab driver has had his license suspended after a hearing in which he was shown on video shoving and pushing a passenger out of his cab. Read more: NBC New York

Face to face: Obama, Romney in crackling debate

An aggressive President Barack Obama accused challenger Mitt Romney of peddling a “sketchy deal” to fix the U.S. economy and playing politics with the deadly terrorist attack in Libya in a Tuesday night debate crackling with energy and emotion just three weeks before the election. Read more: AP

Eighteen former and current JFK workers were arrested in connection with the theft of more than 100,000 mini liquor bottles at the airport over the last five months, the Queens District Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday.

The airport employees also stole duty-free items, including cigarette cartons, perfume and larger bottles of booze. In total, the retail value of the lifted goods is estimated at $750,000.

Three of the workers arrested were security guards and 15 were truck drivers for LSG Sky Chefs, the food and beverage subsidiary for American Airlines. Instead of transporting unsold mini liquor bottles from planes to a storage facility in the airport, they would steal them.

Earlier this year, the Port Authority Inspector General’s Office learned that Sky Chefs employees might be stealing liquor at JFK, and launched a joint uncover investigation with the District Attorney’s Airport Investigations Unit, leading to today’s arrests.

UPDATE: Queens woman who vanished Sunday found alive and well in Texas

A missing 26-year-old Queens woman, who may have run away to escape plans for an arranged marriage, been found alive and well in Texas, law enforcement sources said Thursday. Rajwinder Kaur’s family was thankful and relieved she had been located, but shot down the idea of planned nuptials. Read more: [New York Daily News]

Madrid-bound plane returns to JFK after suspicious device found

A plane that was supposed to travel to Madrid, Spain returned to John F. Kennedy Airport Thursday following a report of a suspicious device on board. Sources told NY1 that suspicious wires were found in a bathroom aboard Delta Flight 126, which was in the air for about two hours Thursday night. Read more: [NY1]

Misdemeanor sexual assault reports more than doubled in western Queens in 2012

A sharp spike in reported misdemeanor sexual assaults in western Queens this year may seem at first a cause for alarm. But lawmakers and crime experts suggest that the grim statistics could also have a silver lining — a greater willingness by victims to report crimes such as gropings. The crime stats for the week ending July 1 in the 108th Precinct show a 125% jump in reported misdemeanor sex crimes compared to the same period last year, up from 16 to 36. Year-to-date hikes also jumped 50% for both the 110th and 115th precincts. Read more: [New York Daily News]

Chicken running afowl near LIRR station in Forest Hills, Queens

Why did the chicken cross the road? Apparently to stop traffic along 71st Avenue and amuse residents in Queens. Locals told 1010 WINS’ Eileen Lehpamer that the bird has been running afowl, wandering near the Forest Hills Long Island Rail Road station. Read more: [1010wins]

Former teachers, parents call conditions at MS 318 chaotic

Parents and former teachers at a Rockaway Park middle school are calling for the ouster of the principal, citing “mayhem” in the building. They say Principal Linda Munro of the Waterside School for Leadership, also known as Middle School 318, doesn’t have the experience to run the institution. Former staffers said fights break out weekly between students, teachers claim they were bullied by Munro and female students said they were groped. Read more: [New York Daily News]

Police look for alleged Queens attempted burglary suspects

Police are looking for two men they say attempted to burglarize a home in Queens over the weekend. Just before 3 p.m. Saturday afternoon, police allege the suspects tried to break into a Jackson Heights home through the garage door. The men did not take any property before fleeing, according to police. Read more: [NY1]